Women’s Pro Hockey Webinar

Hockey Tips From The Pros

What does it take for a female hockey player to make it to the pros?  That is the topic of a webinar panel discussion with professionals Hanna Beattie and Shannon Doyle of National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) team, CT Whale.  This discussion will be moderated by Team Physician, Marc Kowalsky, MD, ONS sports medicine specialist. The event will take place on Zoom on Tuesday, March 13 at 5:00 PM.  Go to the Events page of our website to register for this free event. https://onsmd.com/events.

During the discussion, the players will speak about their personal experiences leading up to the pros, including the unique challenges and obstacles they overcame along the way. They will share their approach on and off the ice to staying healthy and at peak performance.  The interactive session will include Q & A from attendees.

“Women’s professional hockey is an intense and demanding sport,” noted Dr. Kowalsky, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic shoulder, elbow, and knee surgeon. “Players need stay on top of their health and fitness to perform their best and avoid the types of injuries that are most associated with this sport.  We hope younger players, their parents and coaches will join this timely discussion.”

Women’s Hockey Gaining in Popularity

Women’s hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.  According to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the number of registered female players grew 33.85 percent between 2007 and 2018.  In the US, 33.74 percent of all registered hockey players are female.

Shannon Doyle, #6D, a two time NWHL All Star is an original CT Whale player who led the league in the 2019-202 season in blocked shots with 65 and was tied with teammate Kaycie Anderson, for the most points (11). Prior to going professional, Shannon played at Colgate University and Boston University, finishing her senior year third among NCAA defenders in blocked shots and in points. Doyle is currently an English teacher and coaches the Girls’ Varsity hockey team.

Prior to the pandemic, #16D Hanna Beattie, finished her third season with the Whale setting career highs in goals and assists and scored two playoff goals against the Buffalo Beauts, leading the team to the semifinal game against Boston.  She spent her NCAA career at Williams College, where she was captain of the team for her junior and senior years. Hanna tallied 44 points in 84 career games, including 23 points during her freshman year.  She works at Octagon, a sports and entertainment marketing agency.